And Abner, son of Ner, head of the host which Saul hath, hath taken Ish-Bosheth, son of Saul, and causeth him to pass over to Mahanaim,

And Abner son of Ner goeth out, and servants of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, from Mahanaim to Gibeon.

And Abner saith unto Joab, 'Let the youths rise, I pray thee, and they play before us;' and Joab saith, 'Let them rise.'

and the battle is very hard on that day, and Abner is smitten, and the men of Israel, before the servants of David.

And Asahel pursueth after Abner, and hath not turned aside to go to the right or to the left, from after Abner.

And Abner looketh behind him, and saith, 'Art thou he -- Asahel?' and he saith, 'I am.'

And Abner saith to him, 'Turn thee aside to thy right hand or to thy left, and seize for thee one of the youths, and take to thee his armour;' and Asahel hath not been willing to turn aside from after him.

And Abner addeth again, saying unto Asahel, 'Turn thee aside from after me, why do I smite thee to the earth? and how do I lift up my face unto Joab thy brother?'

And he refuseth to turn aside, and Abner smiteth him with the hinder part of the spear unto the fifth rib, and the spear cometh out from behind him, and he falleth there, and dieth under it; and it cometh to pass, every one who hath come unto the place where Asahel hath fallen and dieth -- they stand still.

And Joab and Abishai pursue after Abner, and the sun hath gone in, and they have come in unto the height of Ammah, which is on the front of Giah, the way of the wilderness of Gibeon.

And the sons of Benjamin gather themselves together after Abner, and become one troop, and stand on the top of a certain height,

and Abner calleth unto Joab, and saith, 'For ever doth the sword consume? hast thou not known that it is bitterness in the latter end? and till when dost thou not say to the people to turn back from after their brethren?'

And Abner and his men have gone through the plain all that night, and pass over the Jordan, and go on through all Bithron, and come in to Mahanaim.

And Joab hath turned back from after Abner, and gathereth all the people, and there are lacking of the servants of David nineteen men, and Asahel;

and the servants of David have smitten of Benjamin, even among the men of Abner, three hundred and sixty men -- they died.

And it cometh to pass, in the war being between the house of Saul and the house of David, that Abner hath been strengthening himself in the house of Saul,

and Saul hath a concubine, and her name is Rizpah daughter of Aiah, and Ish-Bosheth saith unto Abner, 'Wherefore hast thou gone in unto the concubine of my father?'

And it is displeasing to Abner exceedingly, because of the words of Ish-Bosheth, and he saith, 'The head of a dog am I -- that in reference to Judah to-day I do kindness with the house of Saul thy father, unto his brethren, and unto his friends, and have not delivered thee into the hand of David -- that thou chargest against me iniquity concerning the woman to-day?

thus doth God to Abner, and thus He doth add to him, surely as Jehovah hath sworn to David -- surely so I do to him:

And he is not able any more to turn back Abner a word, because of his fearing him.

And Abner sendeth messengers unto David for himself, saying, 'Whose is the land?' saying, 'Make thy covenant with me, and lo, my hand is with thee, to bring round unto thee all Israel.'

and her husband goeth with her, going on and weeping behind her, unto Bahurim, and Abner saith unto him, 'Go, turn back;' and he turneth back.

And the word of Abner was with the elders of Israel, saying, 'Heretofore ye have been seeking David for king over you,

And Abner speaketh also in the ears of Benjamin, and Abner goeth also to speak in the ears of David in Hebron all that is good in the eyes of Israel, and in the eyes of all the house of Benjamin,

and Abner cometh in unto David, to Hebron, and with him twenty men, and David maketh for Abner, and for the men who are with him, a banquet.

And Abner saith unto David, 'I arise, and go, and gather unto my lord the king the whole of Israel, and they make with thee a covenant, and thou hast reigned over all that thy soul desireth;' and David sendeth away Abner, and he goeth in peace.

And lo, the servants of David, and Joab, have come from the troop, and much spoil have brought with them, and Abner is not with David in Hebron, for he hath sent him away, and he goeth in peace;

and Joab and all the host that is with him have come, and they declare to Joab, saying, 'Abner son of Ner hath come unto the king, and he sendeth him away, and he goeth in peace.'

And Joab cometh unto the king, and saith, 'What hast thou done? lo, Abner hath come unto thee! why is this -- thou hast sent him away, and he is really gone?

Thou hast known Abner son of Ner, that to deceive thee he came, and to know thy going out and thy coming in, and to know all that thou art doing.'

And Joab goeth out from David, and sendeth messengers after Abner, and they bring him back from the well of Sirah, and David knew not.

And Abner turneth back to Hebron, and Joab turneth him aside unto the midst of the gate to speak with him quietly, and smiteth him there in the fifth rib -- and he dieth -- for the blood of Asahel his brother.

And David heareth afterwards and saith, 'Acquitted am I, and my kingdom, by Jehovah, unto the age, from the blood of Abner son of Ner;

And Joab and Abishai his brother slew Abner because that he put to death Asahel their brother, in Gibeon, in battle.

And David saith unto Joab, and unto all the people who are with him, 'Rend your garments, and gird on sackcloth, and mourn before Abner;' and king David is going after the bier.

And they bury Abner in Hebron, and the king lifteth up his voice, and weepeth at the grave of Abner, and all the people weep;

and the king lamenteth for Abner, and saith: -- 'As the death of a fool doth Abner die?

and all the people know, even all Israel, in that day, that it hath not been from the king -- to put to death Abner son of Ner.

And the son of Saul heareth that Abner is dead in Hebron, and his hands are feeble, and all Israel have been troubled.

And David commandeth the young men, and they slay them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hang them over the pool in Hebron, and the head of Ish-Bosheth they have taken, and bury it in the burying-place of Abner in Hebron.